storytelling through food

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Twister is a fun game. The dial spins. Left hand on red dot. Another spin. Left foot on blue. Then right on yellow. It continues until the family contorts into a modern sculpture anchored on a blanket of colored circles. Then gravity bests even those with the mightiest of yoga skills. The group collapses and laughter erupts. The game resets with everyone on their feet. We continue to play until our bodies, not our brains give out. The combinations stimulate […]

Ask an evolutionary biologist about stripes and they will wax poetic about tigers, zebras and angelfish. In their view, these animals gained vertical striations for camouflage. To disappear into the environment. When we admire their physical beauty, it’s usually separate from where they prowl or hide. From a designers perspective, these natural patterns deliver appeal to clothes, drapes and rugs. Our brains delight in change. A departure from the homogeneous. Smart chefs have picked up on this trick. Sauces loaded […]

It must have been something to see. Dutch immigrants normalizing in the Carolina colonies. People who mastered canals at home and adventured across the globe. Unafraid. Bold. Lovers of Gouda and windmills. Saddling up with the culture of the long drawl. A culture that perfected pulled pork, biscuits & gravy as well as fried chicken. How else might we explain how coleslaw adorns America’s Southeast? The Dutch “koolsla” (cabbage salad) is now our Summer side dish. It must have been […]

Cooks treat the year-end holidays like recess. Time slows and rules evaporate. Experimentation increase. Role play moves creativity like water in a waterwheel. Family recipes are brought to life once more as recipe cards emerge from their tin coffins. Home-made lasagna can take minutes to prepare and decades to perfect. Food companies like Progresso or Barillo sell miles of pasta and oceans of sauce. The time laden steps of stewing meaty tomato sauce is replaced with a brightly decorated jar. […]